Overcomed Fears and Hearts United
by roses4usako
Summary: Darien left for America to finish his medical degree. Four years later he returns to find that Serena is in an abusive relationship. Can he help her overcome her fear of men? Can he show her what it means to truly love?
1. Chapter 1

**"OVERCOMED FEARS AND HEARTS UNITED"**

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON!**

**This is my first fic so please bear with me.**

**Comment: Good or bad I want to know.**

Sad, baby blue eyes stared back at her through the reflection in the mirror. She gazed at herself as she stood naked in front of the full length mirror in the bathroom. Her eyes took in the bags under her eyes, her pale complexion, and the thinness in her cheeks from the weight that she had lost. She ran her fingers through her dulled, hip length hair. It was because of her paleness that the bruises, which were along her neck, arms, legs, and everywhere else that was visible, stood out so much. Her make up wouldn't hide them any longer. New bruises were forming over the old bruises. She ached all over, and yet there was nothing she could do. If she left, HE would find her, and it would only get much worse. He always found her, and he made sure to rub it in her face that he would always find her, as he would hit her over and over again.

She missed her friends, and family, even her annoying little brother Sammy. He made sure that she lost all contact with them. That way she wouldn't have anybody to run to, no one to confide in. Slowly, Serena let her mind wander to when she had first started dating Thomas Bishop. Back to when he was kind and gentle, always wanting to please her. How he would be the perfect gentleman, whether they were alone or not. He helped her to move on from her silent crush over Darien Shields. Whether he was back from America or not, she didn't know. She wasn't allowed outside of the house without his permission. She didn't know what Andrew, Darien, her family, or the girls were up to. Now she remembered how Thomas slowly changed. Becoming angrier more often, how he was always being possessive of her, like she was a trinket to be showed off. How he managed to put distance between her and the ones she loved. How when, he had finally become in her father's good graces, he convinced her to move in with him.

That was when everything had changed. That was when the yelling and screaming and the beatings began. Eventually he wanted more than the satisfaction of just hitting her senseless, he wanted everything from her. She shuddered as the memory of when he had forcefully taken her virginity washed over her.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, though she tried not to let them escape. She put herself in this mess, so there was no use crying over her life. Now she must deal with what she had. Maybe this was how all men were. Perhaps her father and maybe even Andrew hid their aggressiveness from others, like Thomas did. The longer she stayed with Thomas, the more she believed it. The more she became fearful of all men. Even Andrew and her father, though she never saw them anymore.

Serena jumped at the sound of the front door slamming shut. She grabbed a towel from the rack and tried to shakily wrap it around her as she heard footsteps walk towards her room. She began to visibly shake as she heard her bedroom door open and she saw him walking towards her. Her eyes became fearful, and he just smiled wider. She was cornered, and he would do with her as he wished.

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­­­­­"Darien, you didn't stick around long enough the other week to tell me how things went in America. You just snuck off and left me to hang!"

Darien Shields looked at his long time friend Andrew Furuhata as he glared accusingly at him while pushing a steaming cup of black coffee towards him.

"Sorry Drew, I was tired from the jet lag. I barely made it back to my apartment let alone my couch." Darien chuckled in reply.

"Don't you mean bed?" Andrew corrected.

"No I mean couch, I didn't make it to my bed until early the next day. Not to mention I had to get all my affairs in order before I tried being social again. The only good thing about coming home though, is that nothing's changed. Serena's friends are still hanging around as usual."

"Yeah, they're my regulars. I have to admit I missed your arguments with Serena. I kept expecting you to come in calling her a Meatball head. Then again, I just plain out miss Serena." Andrew finished in a whisper, as he got a far away look in his eyes.

Darien didn't miss the worry and concern that shone in Andrew's eyes. He had been wondering why the cheerful blonde seemed to be absent. Before he left for America to finish school he would run into her almost constantly. Now, she was nowhere to be seen, not even with her close-knit friends.

"Andrew, where's Serena? Has something happened to her?" Darien asked, suddenly worried about the klutz queen.

"Um, I should go take some people's orders. Look, if you want to know what's going on with Serena, you should ask them." Andrew said as he nodded in the direction of the girls. "They know more about it than I do."

Darien nodded and began to get up to move towards the girls, when Andrew grabbed him by the elbow. Darien looked back at his friend, and what he saw in his eyes, made Darien feel more uneasy than ever before.

"Darien, I… look from what little I know, it's …it's hard. It's hard to imagine our happy, cheerful Serena, the way she is now. Just hear them out and digest it before you do anything rash. Okay?"

"What's going on Andrew? I've been gone for four years, and now you guys are acting like Serena has changed into… into the exact opposite of Serena. Tell me Andrew!"

"Just promise, okay?" Andrew pleaded with Darien one more time.

Darien nodded only once before he marched over to where Amy, Lita, Mina, and Raye sat in a booth by the window.

They were whispering about some boy that Amy was talking to in her college physics class, while Amy just blushed profusely. They all jumped in surprise when Darien grabbed a spare chair and slid it into the table. He sat down in the chair backwards and rested his arms on the back with his legs straddling the seat.

"Darien! What a surprise, how was America?" Mina spoke up as the girls tried their best to ignore his penetrating stare.

"Cut the crap! What's the deal with Serena?"

"What do you care? You left her four years ago!" Raye demanded.

"We weren't dating, Raye. Besides I left to finish my medical degree at Harvard. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Serena heard me talk about leaving; she even came to see me off. Last time I saw her, she was smiling and cheerful."

"Well she wasn't! She cried for nearly a week after you left. Not to mention half a year later she was still moping around about you. She cared a lot about you, maybe even loved you, but you were too blind to notice!"

"What are you talking about? All we ever did was argue. The one time we didn't argue was when…was when she came to see me off." Darien sighed.

"That's the way Serena was, Darien." Amy said, as she put her hand on his shoulder. "She always put others before herself. Whatever it was, she made sure her friends had everything, before she thought of herself."

"What do you mean was, Amy? Please tell me, what is going on with Serena?"

The girls all looked at each other, before Lita began recounting to Darien what happened after he left. Each girl added in their own tidbit of information here and there, but mainly they just let Lita retell it. By the end of the recounting the girls were in tears. And Darien felt damn well close.

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Author's Note:

So tell me what you think? Should I add or change anything? Let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

**"Overcomed Fears and United Hearts"**

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON!**

**This is my first fic so please bear with me.**

**Comment: Good or bad I want to know.**

Darien stared at the photos in his hand. One of them he had secretly taken from Andrew when he wasn't looking, before he had left for America. The girls had given him the other before they had left him at the arcade. He had stared at the picture for almost an hour in the arcade, before he said a hasty goodbye to Andrew and left for his apartment. Now he stared at the two pictures that he held; stared at the differences between them. He felt as if he was staring at two different people, but they were both of Serena.

The one that he held in his hand was of Serena before he had left for America. She was posing with Andrew in the arcade, just in front of the Sailor V game that she always played. The date on the back of the photo graph said that it was her birthday. Her meatballs were present as usual, as was the cheerful smile that always seemed to grace her lips. Andrew's arm was over her shoulders, and Serena had one of her arms wrapped around his waist. In her other hand was the stuffed bunny rabbit that Andrew had bought her for her birthday.

Darien shifted his gaze to the one that he held in his other hand. It wasn't an up close picture as the other one was. The girls told him that at that time, they hadn't seen Serena in months, and Thomas made it a point of letting them know that if Serena talked to them, then she would be punished. They said that he didn't tell them verbally, but they would always notice the bruises that she tried to hide with make up. Darien's eyes took in the huddled form walking beside Thomas. How he seemed to be ignoring her, but at the same time watching her. How her eyes held fear in them as she looked in his direction. How she looked ashamed of not him, but of herself. Her meatballs were gone, her smile was gone, the life in her eyes were gone. She looked like a fragile doll that would break at the slightest touch. Though he saw all the differences in her, what really hurt the most to see, were the black and blue bruises that showed on her delicate skin.

He stood up abruptly from his bed, and began pacing in front of it. He didn't have to look at the photograph that the girls had given him any more. He could see how Serena looked when he closed his eyes. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He wanted to find this guy and show him what it would be like to be on the receiving end. He wanted to do so many things, but he couldn't.

"_You can't do anything rash, though. Every time we confront her, or when she tries to run, she just gets hurt even worse. The last time we convinced her to go to the cops, he met up with her about a block away. From what Andrew told us from that incident, Serena ended up in the hospital. Thomas never left her side, so she couldn't tell the doctors the truth. She had to tell them that she fell down some stairs. Trust us Darien, we've tried. As of now, the only way to protect her, is to leave her be. Just until we can actually help her get out of this."_

"Damn it! There has to be something that we can do! There has to be something I can do." Darien finished in a whisper, as he fell back onto his bed.

"_She doesn't even know you're back. She's not allowed out of that apartment without him."_

"That's it! I'll show her that I'm back. It's a risk, but maybe if she knows I'm back, we can give her escape one more chance."

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"Look at the mess you made! I told you that when I get home this place is suppose to be spotless! Can't you do a simple task?!"

"You said that you didn't like the dinner that I made. You told me to make something else. I was only doing what - "

Serena stopped mid-sentence as the punch to her left cheek sent her crashing down onto the floor, along with the plates that she had been holding. Her vision blurred for a second before refocusing on the shattered plates. She knew she shouldn't have said anything. It was always worse when she talked back. But she was tired of being in trouble for everything, even when it wouldn't have happened in the first place if it wasn't for him. She looked back up at him, saw that he was getting ready to deliver another blow when he stopped mid-swing. He turned to look out the kitchen door towards the front door. Serena didn't dare take her eyes off of him, but she was curious as to what made him stop. Another knock on the door a minute later told her exactly what had.

"Damn neighbor, always coming around to poke her nose in where it doesn't belong. Go tell her that you fell and broke the plates and to mind her own damn business. We are not done here." Thomas stalked off towards his bedroom to change out of his work clothes.

Serena carefully picked herself up from the floor and walked towards the front door. She silently slid the chain lock off on the door so that she could open it at least halfway. If she didn't the neighbor would think she was hiding something, and would question her more. Thomas would as usual take it out on her, as if she had told the neighbor something she wasn't suppose to.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Lyle. I fell down in the kitchen and dropped some plates. I didn't mean to disturb you and your husband." Serena apologized as she cast her eyes downwards. She heard a sharp hiss of breath from above her. It was then she noticed the black men's dress shoes, the khaki pants that led to a black dress shirt. Her eyes continued their trail upward until she was looking into familiar stormy sea blue eyes framed by midnight black hair.

"D-Darien?"

Darien gave her a half-hearted smile, as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, it's me. I'm back from America for good. I came by to see you."

Serena rubbed her eyes and looked back at him as if she was dreaming. She tentatively reached out to touch him, but couldn't quite bring herself to. Darien continued to look into her eyes as he cut the distance himself and gently grabbed her hand. She looked at their hands for a second, before she shot her head up to look at him again. He something akin to recognition and shock enter her eyes, before the fear took over again. Darien instantly regretted touching her hand. Serena jerked her hand back and quickly made to shut the door in his face, which she did. He wasn't going to stop her, although he wanted to. But he did what he came to do; he showed Serena that he was back, and in his own way said that he was not leaving her again. He just hoped she understood what he meant. He turned to leave.

'I just hope she understands. I promise you Serena, I will get you out of this as soon as I can. Even if it kills me, I will not leave you to this life.'

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Serena's heart slammed in her chest as she leaned her back against the door. Her hands were shaking as she put them over her mouth as if that would help to slow her heart rate. A million questions were flying through her mind.

'Why? Why is he back? What does he want? Does he know about Thomas? Why is he back now? Why, why, why?'

Serena was too busy trying to answer her own questions, that she didn't even notice Thomas staring at her from the hallway. When he was finally fed up with her for not noticing him he strode over towards her and slammed his hands on either side of her head. She jumped at the sound and his closeness to her. She couldn't go anywhere, all she could do was look him in the eyes.

" Who was that?"

"I-it was the neighbor, like you said."

Thomas lifted his right hand and slapped her in the face, but he didn't let her fall. He grabbed her roughly by the arm and shoved her against the door again.

"That was not the neighbor! Who was that guy?!" Thomas yelled in her face, causing her to push herself up even more against the door. She began to cry, which earned her another slap and a shove.

"WHO WAS HE?!" He screamed, grabbing a fistful of her hair.

"No one! It was an old friend that moved away, and I guess he's back in town. I didn't know I swear, I had no idea he was back! I haven't seen him for four years! I swear!" Serena sobbed as she tried to get him to release her.

He stared at her for long time, before he leaned in next to her ear.

"If I ever see him again, I promise you you will regret it. Each time that I do you will be punished." He snarled it into her ear. His hand tightened harder on her hair, lifting her up a little, as she gave a small cry.

"Now I believe it's time for your first punishment, and I should at least have some fun while doing it." He leaned away and began to drag her towards her bedroom. Serena dug her heels in as she continued trying to get him to release her. She clawed his arms and she cried for him not to do it. Her only response was for him to jerk her towards him and continue towards the room.

When they reached it he threw her onto the bed. She immediately began trying to crawl across it, in order to put the bed between them. She grabbed the edge of the bed and tried to hold on as he grabbed her ankles and began pulling her back towards him. She cried out and released her grip on the edge when she felt him deliver a punch to the small of her back. Pain lanced through her spine and travelled throughout her body. He roughly flipped her over and ripped open her shirt, and then began to shove her pants down. When they were finally off he shoved her on her back and straddled her. She cried for him to stop, and clawed at his chest and arms. When she was actually able to claw his left cheek with her nails, he gave a sharp hiss before her backhanded her. He grabbed both of her hands in his one, and used the other to finish what he started.

Serena continued to cry as she tried bucking her hips in hopes to throw him off balance. All she got in return for her efforts was a punch in the stomach. The breath flew out of her lungs, and all she could do was cough. By the time she could breath again to continue fighting it was too late. He shoved himself deep inside her and smiled when she let out a painful cry. He didn't care as long as he got what he wanted. Each thrust was more painful than the last. When he finally reached his own personal climax he released his hold on her hands. Serena curled onto her side as she continued to cry, her face buried in her hands in shame. He simply zipped his pants and glared at her with contempt. He began to walk towards the door, but before he closed it he stopped to look back at her.

"From now on your no longer allowed outside of this room unless I let you out. You won't be able to get out unless I let you out. If you do somehow manage to get out, I'll punish you as if you ran away again." With that he slammed the door shut and locked it from the outside.

She heard him go to his room down the hall and slam his door shut. She continued to cry, lying naked on her bed. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered. This was her life, and she was truly a prisoner in her own home. Serena cried herself to sleep as she did every night. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore. Until her head began to ache. Until finally all she knew was nothing. Nothing but the nightmares in her dreams. Nothing but reliving her life over and over again; from the day Darien left to the day she thought would be her last. Every single day.

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Author's Note:

Sorry it took so long to update. I was busy trying to set my desktop up. My laptop is in the process of being worked on, so I had to hook this one up. But either way; what do you think of this chapter?


	3. Chapter 3

**"Overcomed Fears and United Hearts"**

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON!**

**This is my first fic so please bear with me.**

**Comment: Good or bad I want to know.**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since he had seen her. He hadn't gone back to the apartment since then. He had told her that he wasn't leaving, and he hoped that she believed it. Now, here he was, sitting in his apartment, waiting for the girls and Andrew to arrive. It had taken him two weeks, but he finally had a plan together. All he had to do was run it by them. He hoped that they would be willing to go through with it, but it was dangerous. If everything he had learned about Thomas Bishop was true then he couldn't risk leaving them in danger. Serena would rather keep herself in danger than to even think of putting anyone else in it. In fact, she would probably raise holy hell if she even thought someone was.

"You need to relax. Everything is going to be okay. If you start out being so tense, you're only going to make them tense. And everything will start off on a bad note."

Darien looked away from the balcony windows to see a steaming cup of coffee being held right in his face. Taking the coffee so he could see past it, he looked into Amora's eyes. Amora Ten'ou had been a good friend to him the past four years. They had met at a car show that his college roommate had somehow convinced him to go to. He was a little surprised to find out that the man who knew so much about cars was actually a she. Not that he had minded in the least, Amora had never shown any type of feeling towards him other than friendship and a mutual interest in cars.

"I know your right, but I can't help but think how they're going to react when I tell them that I actually went to her apartment and saw her. They're going to flip. Especially Lita and Andrew, maybe even Raye."

"Don't tell me that the mighty Darien Shields is afraid of some girls?"

"Hey, if Darien is afraid of some girls, do you think I should be, too?" Amora joked.

"Ha ha, very funny. I'm laughing so hard I may just collapse," Darien replied dryly. "And I'm not so much afraid of Raye, she has a temper but I think I can handle; Andrew might try to take a swing at me, but he's never been in a fight in his life. Now Lita, I'd say she takes second place only to you Amora."

"That's saying something," Amora whistled as went to take a seat next to Michelle on the couch.

Darien watched as Michelle automatically leaned her head against Amora. The two had been dating for the past three years ever since he had introduced the two of them at one of Michelle's galleries. He had been friends with Michelle since her last gallery in Tokyo, which was a year before he left for America.

When he had received an invitation to her gallery in Cambridge, he figured it gave him an excuse to pull on joke on Amora. He had gone and bought a cheap dress and gave it to her along with the invitation saying he needed a date. His arm was sore the next day from when Amora had punched him saying, _'Sure, I'll be your date, as long as you don't mind people thinking you're gay!' _They had decided to just meet up at the gallery.

He had called them the day after seeing Serena and told them everything. Michelle was the one who had been able to dig up the information on Thomas. Amora and Trista, a close friend to Amora, were the ones who helped him come up with the plan. Four days later, both Amora and Michelle had shown up on his doorstep saying they were due for an adventure and he couldn't possibly kick his friends out on the street with nowhere to go. Even though he knew very well that Michelle had a flat in downtown Tokyo and Amora had a few relatives that still lived here, though she only claimed that they were distant relatives. They had spent the next week going over the plan making sure that everything was good to go.

Darien was pulled from his thoughts when his doorbell rang, signaling that his guests were beginning to arrive.

"I'll get in case it's my protégée, that way you don't have change your panties," Amora joked as she got up from the couch quickly so she could avoid Michelle swatting at her. Darien just groaned and rolled his eyes. He should not have told Amora that he was actually a little scared of Lita. Michelle gave him a sympathetic look, though it was ruined by her trying not laugh.

Amora opened the door and looked over the group that stood in the hallway. A tall brunette stood with her hand raised to knock on the door. They were all a little surprised to see Amora instead of Darien.

"Ah, you must be Lita. No wonder you're supposed to be my protégée," Amora said in way of greeting.

"Do I know you?" Lita said.

"Nope, but I know you," Amora smirked.

"Um, excuse us, we must have the wrong apartment," Amy interrupted, so as to prevent an argument. "We're looking for Darien Shields."

Amora shifted her attention to the shy girl, which caused her to blush. She simply laughed and turned on her heel.

"Then you've come to the right place, sweetheart. Come on in," Amora said over her shoulder as she began walking back to the living room, causing Amy to blush even more. They all heard Darien yell out Amora's name, but watched in surprise when she physically winced when a female called it out as well.

Lita and Raye, not ones to be kept waiting, were the first ones to walk through, followed by the rest of the group. They were surprised when they walked around the corner to see Darien laughing at Amora, as she hesitantly walked towards a woman with aquamarine hair.

"You're Michelle Kaioh!" Amy blurted out without thinking. Everyone stared at her as her face turned red as a tomato. "She's a very famous and talented artist. Both in painting and with the violin," she said as a way to explain her outburst.

Michelle simply laughed and said, "Yes, I am Michelle Kaioh. Please, you must excuse my partner; she loves to get under people's skin."

"SHE?"

Amora burst out laughing at the group's exclamations. She always loved it when people found out that she wasn't a guy.

"Yes, Amora is a she," Darien said, choosing to intervene before Amora decided to try anything else, as she was prone to do. "Please, have a seat and we can get started."

It took a minute before anyone moved, but eventually everyone began moving towards a seat. He noticed that Amy, either consciously or not, decided to sit farthest from Amora. That didn't escape Amora either if her chuckles and Michelle slapping her on the arm were any indication. Lita and Andrew sat on the couch with Amora and Michelle with Raye sitting on the arm. Mina plopped down on chair and Amy in the other.

It was until he heard, "I prefer to stay standing, if you don't mind," that he noticed a teenage boy standing in-between Amy and Mina.

"I figured, since it involved Serena, Sammy should be here," Andrew explained.

"He's a little young don't you think?" Amora asked making Sammy clench his fists.

"He's Serena's brother," Darien said. Amora just nodded as if that was the explanation she needed to accept him into the conversation.

"So what's this about Darien?" Mina asked. All eyes turned to him and he took a deep breath.

"I saw Serena about two weeks ago." When no one said anything he added, "I went to her apartment and talked to her the night I talked to you guys at the arcade."

Andrew, Lita and Raye stood up swiftly and Sammy began to walk towards him as well. Amora was up and blocking their path before they made it two feet.

"Alright, now chill out. We've got a plan and you need to hear it, which you won't if you try and dog pile Darien," Amora said as she crossed her arms and braced her feet.

Lita grabbed Andrew and put her other arm out to stop Raye, which also stopped Sammy though no one was blocking him.

"She's a fighter just like me. She's not letting anyone past her, and she's willing to prove it," Lita said before Andrew and Raye could say anything.

"Yup, I can see why you like to call her my protégée," Amora smirked at Darien.

"I never called her that, you're the one who keeps calling her that," he replied.

She simply shrugged her shoulders and continued to look at the four. Eventually, Andrew turned around and shooed Lita and Raye back into their seats while Sammy walked back to Amy who had him sit on the arm of her chair. Amora moved to the other arm of the couch so that Michelle was in-between her and Andrew.

"You promised me, Darien. You promised you wouldn't do anything rash."

"I know, but I had to let her know that I was here, and I'm not leaving. She knows that now." When Andrew just continued to glare at him he heaved a sigh. "Look, we have a plan on how to get Serena away from that asshole. Now if you want to hear it, let us explain, if not, walk out that door right now and make us try to come up with another, or, make this plan a whole lot harder."

"We'll listen. We want to help her as well," Amy, always the voice of reason, said. "If you have a plan that you think might work, then we'll do everything we can to help. Right now, that involves us listening to what he has to say," she said while looking pointedly at four in particular. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"You can relax now. They're not going to try anything, they're willing listen now," Michelle said as she put a hand over one of Amora's.

"Now that's not fair, I was looking forward to good all-out brawl," she whined.

"Amora!" Darien said exasperatedly as Michelle rolled her eyes and threw her hand in the air, causing everyone else to laugh, effectively easing the tension in the air.

* * *

Serena slowly opened her eyes as she heard the front door open and close. He was home from work. She didn't bother to move from her spot on the bed, not even to get under the covers so as to cover her nakedness. It didn't make a difference. It never did. She was too tired. She was ready to give up. There was no point. No point to get dressed; he would just rip them off. No point to hide; he would just be more angry that he had to find her. No point to cry; no one would hear. There was just no point to do anything.

She listened as she heard him walk around in the living room, throwing various things on the table. She saw when his shadow passed her door, and heard when he closed the door. She heard the shower come on his room and guessed that he wasn't thinking about her at all. She closed her eyes again hoping to fall asleep to ease the pain she was in. She could barely move she was in so much pain, not that she bothered trying to move. Her head pounded from sleeping so much and not eating. Oh, he had remembered to come visit her so as to inflict pain, but he had kept conveniently forgetting to bring her food or let her out to get her own food from the kitchen in the past two days. Or was it three? She couldn't remember anymore and she didn't care. Maybe this time she would fall asleep and never wake up. Maybe this time she would slip into a darkness that no light could penetrate.

She winced as light shown through her eyelids. She tried to bring a hand up to cover her eyes, but it was grabbed and pulled with her other hand above her head. Opening her eyes now to the blinding light, she saw Thomas pushing her onto her back. Did she fall asleep again? She hadn't heard him walk in. He didn't look like he had taken a shower yet either. But she had heard him turn the shower on!

"I can't very well take a shower and then sleep with you, now can I? I'd have to take another shower just to wash you off," he said as he read the confusion in her eyes. "Then again, you haven't bothered to shower in a few days. I think it's time you did."

He lowered her arms and lifted her off the bed until her feet were touching the ground. As soon as he let her go, her legs gave out from under her and she fell into a heap on the floor.

"Tsk, tsk, no wonder you haven't been fighting back. You can't even stand."

With that, Thomas picked her up and carried her bridal style into her bathroom. He sat her down on the counter and moved to turn the water on. He made sure the water was warm before putting the stopper in to let the tub fill up. Turning around he looked and pointed a finger at her.

"Don't move from that spot. I won't be happy if you do. I'll be back in one minute." He turned on his heel and walked out of the bathroom.

She didn't bother trying to move. It was taking all of her strength just to hold herself up on the counter, let alone trying to hop off it and try to stand. She took a deep breath to try and keep her strength so she didn't fall off. It was then that she smelled it. The aroma of food. Looking up at the doorway she saw Thomas walking towards her with two plates full of food. Putting one plate next to her, he placed the other one in her lap. Her legs instantly began to warm from the heat of the plate. She hadn't realized how cold she was before. She looked at him briefly as she hesitantly reached for a biscuit. He nodded his head and turned back to the tub. With that she began shoving whatever she could into her mouth. She was so hungry! By the time he turned the water off and turned back to her, she was swallowing the last piece food, the plate empty. As she began reaching for the other one, he grabbed her hand with one of his and moved the plate from her lap with the other.

"You can have the second plate if you're good while I'm giving you a bath," he said.

She nodded her head, showing him that she would behave. He picked her up and slowly put her in the tub. Once she was in, he began rinsing her hair.

"Why? Why are you being so gentle and nice?" she asked in a whisper. She was afraid that she would anger him by questioning him.

"Because you don't fight me anymore. You've finally accepted that you are mine. Although I wouldn't mind if you fought me a few times. Besides, I love you."

She was surprised that he had answered her. She was even more surprised that he had actually said that he loved her. Was this what love was? Had she been wrong all along about it? Her parents loved each other, so did her dad treat her mother this way? She didn't know. Maybe he hid it well. Just like Thomas. Both her and Sammy were always the first to leave the house, and their mom didn't work. Maybe he did it when they left? She didn't know!

She was pulled from her thoughts when Thomas yanked her head back so she would look at him.

"I said I love you," he growled.

"I-I love y-you, too!" she cried.

He released her and went back to putting shampoo in her hair. She remained silent throughout the whole time. She just listened to him ramble on about how he loved her hair, and how he loved her body. Eventually he helped her out of the tub and she was able to stand on her own as he used a towel to dry her off. He wrapped the towel around her and picked her up and took her to the bed. He sat her on the bed with her back propped up by pillows. She watched him walk back into the bathroom and heard him unplug the tub to drain the water. He walked back out with the other plate and placed it in her lap. He sat next to her on the bed and watched her eat the second plate. She didn't eat as fast as she did the first time, but it was still gone within a few minutes.

He took the plate and put it on her dresser then found some pajamas of hers and helped her put them on. Once fully clothed he tucked the covers around her and told her to sleep. Before walking out the door he turned back to her.

"Since you've been such a good girl. I'll let you out tomorrow morning before I leave for work. However, I expect this place to be spotless when I come home. Do you understand?"

She nodded her head.

"If it is, I'll take care of you again, just like I did tonight."

Again she nodded her head, and he just left locking the door behind him. She didn't understand. What was love? Had she been wrong all this time? Was this what love truly was? She didn't know anymore. She was too tired to think. Her body was warm and relaxed from the bath, the bed was warm as well, and the food she had eaten all combined to make her so sleepy she couldn't stay awake. The tension had eased out of her body as she had realized that this was all that he had planned to do to her. Her relief was so immense that she fell into a sleep so deep that she wasn't plagued by any dreams or nightmares. It was just a black nothingness, and she welcomed it with open arms.

* * *

"So tomorrow, we put the plan in motion?" Darien asked.

When he received nods from everyone in return, he finally allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone was willing to go through with the plan. He knew it would work, deep down in his heart he knew it would.

Everyone began to leave so that they could prepare for tomorrow. It was a little sudden to inform everyone of the plan tonight and then enact the plan tomorrow, but it had to be done. _If_ Thomas was watching them, then he would notice that they were acting strange in the upcoming days. This way, not even they knew what was going on until last minute.

Tomorrow morning; they would put everything into motion. Tomorrow morning; Amora, Darien, and Sammy would see Serena and get her out of that hell hole. Tomorrow morning; Serena would finally be free.

'And maybe, just maybe, I can show her what true love really means. Maybe I can finally tell her how I have felt all these years," Darien thought as he looked up at the night sky. 'But first I have to free her.'

With that, Darien walked back in and began preparing himself for tomorrow. Amora and Michelle watched as Darien finally had a purpose and a determination that shone through his eyes.

"It's going to be a rough road ahead. For all them. She won't be the same person that they once knew her to be," Michelle said as she heard Darien softly close his door.

"They know it's going to be rough. They have to be strong for her though. I just hope it's not too late. That this…_monster_... hasn't completely broken her. If he has, there's no hope of saving her," Amora replied.

"Should we call Trista? Do you think she'll be able to help?"

"I think we should. Trista will know how to get through to her, if not her, then Hotaru can. That kid can see straight into a person's heart and soul, just like her mom."

"I'm guessing you've already called her?"

"They'll be with you at your place when the three of us arrive with Serena."

"Then let us hope for the best," Michelle said as Amora lead them into the guest room. Tomorrow was going to be a trying day for all involved.

* * *

Author's Note: I am so very sorry for how long it took for me to update. But I promise it won't take this long again. I've been studying hard for all my degrees and finally have a break. I've also been going from country to country with a good friend of mine and my boyfriend. I'll go back and put some line breaks in the first two chapters for scene changes, because I know that bugs the hell out of me when there aren't any. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll try to get the next one up in the next week. I'll try to make up for my absence, so I'll try and get the two up. Don't forget to review! I'll take the good and the bad, and any suggestions; I **love** reading your reviews. Thanks for being patient!


	4. Chapter 4

**"Overcomed Fears and United Hearts"**

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON!**

**This is my first fic so please bear with me.**

**Comment: Good or bad I want to know.**

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* * *

**Something, or someone, was trying to wake her. She had finally escaped into the realm of darkness and she didn't want to leave. Why should she? Here, she could feel nothing, see nothing, be nothing. However, whatever was trying to wake her up was insistent. Abruptly, she remembered _why _she wanted the darkness so bad. Thomas would be angry if she didn't wake up soon. Forcibly, she tried to open her eyes, but they were so heavy! She kept trying until she was looking into Thomas' dark brown eyes; his face was level with hers.

"So the sleeping beauty awakens, hmm? Took long enough," he said.

She immediately began to sit up, even though a wave dizziness and nausea hit her. She thought he was angry that she had taken so long to wake up, but he simply pushed her gently back into the cushions, tucking the sheets in tighter. She turned puzzled eyes towards him.

"Now, remember what I said last night?" When he received only a fearful shake of the head in denial, he sighed. "I'll let it go because you were exhausted, this time. But you really need to pay more attention to what I say. You're supposed to listen to the one you love. I said that if you were a good girl today, just like you were last night, and the house is spotless when I come home, then I'll treat you just like I did last night. You want that don't you?"

She shook her head yes as she finally remembered last night's events. Remembering all the questions she had asked herself last night, she decided to take a chance. Maybe he was willing to answer another one? She averted her eyes to look at the patterns of the comforter.

"Um, m-may I…may I ask a question?"She asked like a child who was in trouble. She had learned long ago instead of just doing or saying what she wanted, she had to ask like a child.

"Of course you may," he replied, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is this…is this…what true love…is? Have I been wrong this whole time?" She closed her eyes tightly waiting for an angry outburst or for his fist to connect with some part of her body. Her eyes locked with his in shock when all he did was sigh and place a gentle hand on her cheek.

"I'm sorry, but yes. I love you, but you were just so…_stubborn_…that this was the only way I could teach you. Our love is true. Finally, you realized that love isn't what you always thought in those silly and childish dreams. I love you, and you love me too, don't you?"

She only nodded her in agreement, shifting her eyes to look at the comforter again. She missed the look of rage in his eyes when she didn't say it back. But, he'd rather her continue thinking about what true love was. She was already beginning to see things his way, and if she continued to ponder it a little more, she'd finally become his. After three years, she would finally become his. He had been frustrated for awhile because he had to break her in, like a dog in a new home, but he had enjoyed it.

He was being nice now, but he didn't like being nice for long. However, for now, he enjoyed watching her submit to his every will. She didn't even realize that she was asking him permission to do anything at all. Oh, she knew to ask him permission out loud for certain things, but that was just to test the waters. She didn't realize that she was asking permission every single time she did something. Last night for instance, she waited for _his_ approval to eat the food he brought her; she fought to stay awake until _he_ told her to sleep.

"I love you, too."

Finally! He had finally broke her! Looking into her eyes he saw that she finally believed it. She believed that this was true love! When they first met she had held joy and love in her eyes, then it had changed to confusion and worry, then to scared and fearful, to acceptance of her fate, and now it was love, a different love. The type that he had taught her, that his mother had taught him. He had broken her body long ago, but now he had broken her spirit and remolded it to his own creation.

"You know, when I first saw you crying at the lake in the park, I thought you to be an angel who had fallen. Did you know that?" he asked.

"No, I thought the first time we met was when I ran into you on my way home from the arcade."

"That's because I had been going to the park every single day just to see you again. When I finally did, I made to sure to be in your path. That was the first time I had seen you with a smile on your face. I offered to walk you home since it was late, but mainly so I could talk to you," he said as he played with a piece of her hair.

"I remember, you asked if we could meet again at the same spot the next day," she whispered.

"That's right, and slowly I made you forget about your heartache. You never did talk about the guy who caused it. You never spoke his name, or described him, or told me what happened. I'm curious, who was he?"

"It was only a crush, I know that now. Our love is true love. Back then my love for him was childish, but now I know what love is, because of you."

"I'm still curious, but it doesn't matter anymore. You're mine now, and you finally see what I've been trying to teach you all along. Now you know that our love is real. Now, I have to go to work, you're making me late."

"I'm sorry!" she immediately apologized. Her eyes were wide, they still held fear that he would punish her, but they calmed when he simply brushed her hair out of her face. He also noticed that her eyes were a bit glazed over, as if she couldn't quite focus them. Looking closer, he also noticed her face was flushed and she was sweating. Brushing her hair from her face, he realized she had a fever, but he would let her deal with, no sense in him wasting any time to try and help her feel better.

"It's alright," he said, coming back to the conversation at hand. For once, he didn't mind her making him late, because he was too happy that she had finally succumbed to his will. "Tell you what, since your being such a good girl and you finally understand what I've been trying to teach you; don't worry about cleaning the house. Sleep in, and I'll wake you when I come home from work if you're still sleeping. I'll even make you dinner, sort of as a celebration for finally understanding. Does that sound good?"

She nodded her head and began to snuggle under the covers once more. She opened her eyes again, though, looking at him.

'Once again, asking me if she can go to sleep, even though she can barely keep her eyes open,' he thought happily.

"I'll leave your door unlocked, in case you want to get up for awhile. But don't go outside. I'll have to punish you if you do, understand?"

Again, she nodded her head, and whispered, "Not without your permission. If you love someone, you do everything you can to make them happy? Right?" she questioned; she was still unsure about true love. She didn't want to be confused again.

"Right and I won't be happy if you do. Alright then, go to sleep. I love you," he said as he stood up and once again tucked the covers around her.

"I love you, too," she whispered and closed her eyes. This time he had given her permission to sleep.

Thomas smiled to himself the whole way to work. He had finally won. He was off in his own world thinking of the days to come.

He never saw Sammy sitting in a chair in the waiting area, pretending to read the newspaper. Walking out the sliding doors, Sammy hid behind a pillar, and watched Thomas' car leave the garage. Once he lost sight of the car, he pulled his cell phone out and dialed a number.

"He's gone. He just left for work," he paused, listening to the other speaker. "Yeah, he left a little later than usual. According to the receptionist he always leaves at the same time. So I waited, but he was about fifteen minutes late. He didn't act like he had anywhere to be though. That asshole had a smile on his face like he doesn't have a care in the world," he growled.

Again he paused to listen to the other speaker. "Yeah I was able to get a spare key from her. I told her it was his birthday and Serena was trying to throw a surprise birthday party for him, just like you said. I'll wait for you and Amora out front. Just in case he comes back early, that way I can give you a heads up. I'll see you in twenty." He hung up the phone and leaned against the pillar.

Every once in awhile, he would look up and down the road, looking for Thomas' silver Ford Explorer to come back. When he saw Amora's black Escalade pull up to the curb, his heart picked up a little.

'This is going to work, this is going to work, this is going to work," he kept repeating to himself.

"Good job, kiddo," Amora said, as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, the tenser you are, the more suspicious you look."

Sammy took a few deep breaths and let them out slowly, visibly relaxing with each one. He looked back up at Amora, who nodded her head, her way of saying 'much better'.

"Okay, here's the key. I'll keep looking out for him just in case he decides to come back," he said while handing Darien the key. He looked at Amora in confusion when she handed him the keys to the Escalade.

"In case he does come back, we're going to need a quick escape. Even if he doesn't, we're going to need to get out of here pretty quick. The quicker the better, just in case anyone notices anything suspicious. That way we'll be long gone."

"Right…and don't worry, I'm not _that_ bad of a driver," Sammy joked when he noticed Amora's reluctance to give him the keys, even though it was her idea.

"Not funny, kid. You hurt my car; I hurt you," Amora frowned.

"No, um, seriously, I am a good driver," Sammy gulped.

"Alright, enough, we don't have time for this. What happened to getting in and out as fast as we can? Sammy; tease her later. Amora; threaten him later. Let's go," Darien interrupted as he started pushing Amora towards the doors.

"I'm serious, Darien, that's my car-"

"Yeah, yeah, it's your baby. If you could, and you weren't with Michelle, you'd make love to it. Can we please get back on track?"

"Alright, I get it, lead the way."

Darien lead the way towards the stairs, with both of them taking them two at a time to the fourth floor. They walked all the way to the end of the hallway until they reached a door marked 425. Unlocking the door, they walked into the dark living room, closing the door softly behind them before turning on the lights.

They started opening any doors that they came across, trying to find Serena. The first door they came to in the hallway was a pantry door; the second one was a half-bathroom; and the third one they found her asleep in her bed. She was facing the doorway but she didn't stir.

Amora turned the lights back on as Darien started to cross the room to get to her. Calling her name and gently shaking her, so as not to scare her, he tried waking her up. When he received no response he tried calling her name a little more loudly. She stirred a little, but didn't wake. Finally, Amora came to stand next to him and cupped Serena's face with her hands. Almost as soon as she touched her Amora sucked in a quick breath.

"She's burning up, Darien. I don't think we'll be able to wake her, and even if we did, I have a feeling she's going to be too delirious to fully understand what's going on," she said.

Darien placed the back of his hand on Serena's forehead and reluctantly agreed with Amora. Serena was sick, really sick. Making a quick decision, he threw the cover off of her and picked her up bridal style, noting that she was as limp as ragdoll. One of her arms lay on her stomach, the other dangled off her side and he had to have Amora position her head on his shoulder so it wasn't hanging back at an awkward angle.

Together they headed out of the apartment and towards the stairs that would lead them to the alley. Amora called Sammy on the way; there was no way they could carry her through the lobby without anyone noticing or asking questions. Shortly after they came out into the alley, Sammy rounded the corner and carefully navigated the Escalade through the alley as fast as he could.

"He scratches that car and I'll kill him," Amora muttered under her breath.

"If he scratches it, I'll pay for the damages," Darien said a little too sharp. He handed Serena to Amora as Sammy pulled up in front of them. There wasn't much room for them to maneuver. Amora waited as Darien climbed into the backseat before handing Serena to him. She was surprised when she opened the passenger door to find Sammy seating there instead of behind the wheel.

"Thomas just turned onto the street when I pulled into the alley. He came back for some reason," he explained with a panicked look on his face.

"Amora, get us out of here!" Darien yelled from the back.

Without a second thought, Amora ran around the car and slid behind the wheel. There was no way Sammy would be able to handle the car if it came down to a chase. Putting the car in reverse, she slowly backed out of the alley so people would think she merely made a wrong turn. Right before pulling out onto the road, she pushed Sammy's head down so no one would see him. Once she was in traffic she looked in her side mirror and noticed Thomas looking at the car with either curiosity or suspicion, she couldn't tell because of the distance. Shifting her attention back to the road she decided to take the longest way possible to Michelle's apartment.

"He's going inside. He's in no rush though, I don't think he's on to us but he'll notice that she's gone," Darien remarked from the back. He was looking out the back window while hunched down.

Sammy finally managed to shove Amora's hand away from him and sat up. "What was that for?"

"If Thomas saw, then he only saw me. He would have recognized you immediately, maybe even Darien."

"The windows are tinted though!"

"Not tinted enough."

Sammy gave up and turned towards the back seat to get a good look at his sister. She looked horrible. Bruises covered her body in everyplace that showed, her face was flushed, and she was breathing faster than normal.

"We need to take her to a hospital!" he exclaimed.

"No way. No hospitals," Darien said.

"Darien look at her! She needs a doctor!"

Amora pushed Sammy's shoulder so that he was facing the front again as she took a left turn a little too sharp.

"Darien is right. That's going to be one of the first places he'll look when he realizes she's missing. He's going to assume that we're going to want to take her to get her checked out, and when he shows up then all the trouble we're going through will be for nothing," she explained as she merged in and out of traffic.

"She needs a doctor! What happens if she gets worse?" he continued to argue.

"Darien just finished med school; he's more than qualified to take care of her."

"Besides, Amy's mother is meeting us at the apartment. She can help me take care of her, Sammy. You have to trust me that I have Serena's best interests at heart. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure she's alright."

"Why should I trust you? You're the one who abandoned her in the first place! If you had just opened you're damned eyes and seen how much she loved you she wouldn't be in this position in the first place! It's your fault!" Sammy's voice became louder and louder, until he was screaming. "It's your damn -"

"Enough! It's no one's fault except for that damn asshole who calls himself a man! Now shut up, because there's someone tailing us and I can't concentrate with all the damn yelling!" Amora interrupted.

Both Sammy and Darien looked out the back window and saw a black SUV matching Amora's moves precisely. They weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were following them. Amora cut off a mini-van as she made a sharp right, punching the accelerator to the floor. The engine revved in accordance, like it was happy to be put to the test. She made a left as the SUV drifted around the corner trying to keep up with her sudden turn. Amora made another left at the end of the street and then an immediate right into a parking garage; taking the ramp up to the second level she made the car do a complete 180 shoving the gear into reverse and began backing up before putting the care in neutral, turning it off, and using the momentum to come to a stop in-between two cars. Unbuckling her seat belt and sinking in her seat, she motioned for them to do the same. About thirty minutes later, the SUV drove slowly past them.

The SUV passed them another two times before Amora took her cell out and called Michelle.

"We've been had. I don't know how knew it was us, but he did. We were only a few blocks away before he had someone tailing us." She paused as she listened to Michelle on the other side of the phone. "Yeah, it's a black Ford Expedition, and we're in a garage across from the internet café you always go to for coffee." Another pause, before, "Yeah, he just made his third pass and he's getting suspicious. See you soon."

"Well?" Darien asked when she shoved the cell back in her pocket.

"Michelle's calling the police and putting in a report about a possible stalker."

"Won't she get in trouble for lying?"

"Not when she's calling my uncle. I've got connections, kid," Amora replied as she ruffled Sammy's hair.

"What is he, some kind of head honcho?" Sammy asked, pushing her hand away. "And I'm not a kid."

"Hey, anyone younger than me is a kid. Plus, if you think I'm scary, you don't want to see him. Who do you think I learned everything from?"

"And you wanted me to meet him? Are you crazy! I should never have gone to that damn car show," Darien exclaimed.

"I don't know you, so how am I suppose to know who taught you what?"

Amora's cell phone rang before she could reply, so she simply laughed as she dug it back out of her pocket. They knew, or at least Darien knew for sure, that she wasn't talking to Michelle, because her replies were short and curt. She kept her responses to a minimum. A minute later she shut the phone and slid back up in the seat and started the car.

"That was my uncle, they got the car detained. He's pulled them over for suspicious activity. He's got a squad car ready to follow us just in case another one decides to pop up," she explained as Sammy and Darien sat back up as well.

"Suspicious activity?" Sammy questioned.

"Yeah well, circling the garage so many times and passing a bunch of open spots, you can't very well use the excuse of looking for a space. Therefore, you must be up to something."

"How did your uncle get here so fast? And get another car here to follow us?" he continued.

"Well, he always meets up with his old partner and his son for coffee at the café across the street. Every morning without fail, so technically, they were just across the street. So they can even say they saw them circling and got suspicious. His old partner is retired now, but his son is in the force and he's the one who's going to trail us back, his dad will be coming along for the joy ride, although I have a feeling he's coming to keep an extra, expert eye out for another car."

"Did you know that he went to the café every day? Is that why you picked this time?" Darien added his own questions to Sammy's as Amora pulled out of the garage.

"Exactly. Am I smart or what?"

"Or what," Sammy muttered.

"I heard that. You've just been demoted to a pup instead of a kid," Amora retorted.

"What are you, British?"

"I would stop while I was ahead, Sammy. She can go all day and still be ready for more," Darien interjected.

"So, how come you talk about your uncle like he's some great guy, but when you were talking to him, it was like you hated him," Sammy asked after a moment of silence, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I don't hate him; he just scares the shit out of me too. Besides, when he's in business mode, you're in business mode. All he knew is what I told Michelle, but, if you want to simplify it, basically someone was tailing his beloved niece and he don't like that one bit. You don't mess with our family and get away unscathed. That's why I don't have to worry about warning my family, like you had to yours. Especially now that my uncle is involved. He's going to want the whole story once we get back, and he'll put the word out."

"What happens if Thomas knows people in high places? Won't your uncle get in trouble?" he pressed.

"Not a chance. Not only is he the chief of police, but my family is either in high places or they have friends in high places. He's not going to have any leverage over any of my family members. And if he tries…?" Here she just shrugged and left the question open.

"'You don't mess with our family and get away unscathed.'" Darien quoted back.

They rode in silence for the rest of the ride to the apartment. Amora, paying attention to their surroundings and the car trailing them; Sammy, who was trying to study her out of the corner of his eye; and Darien, who was checking Serena's pulse and trying to get her comfortable. She didn't so much as stir the entire time, not even during the chase.

When they arrived, they got out of the car and waited for the elevator. When the doors opened they climbed in, but when Sammy hit the button for the penthouse floor, Amora stuck her foot out to allow an elderly man and a young police officer on. Sammy looked at her questioningly, but Darien nudged his shoulder so he could hit the button again. On the ride up, Amora introduced them.

"This is my uncle's former partner, Shuichiro Kou, and his son, Seiya Kou. Chiro, Seiya, this is my friend Darien, the pup is Sammy, and the damsel in distress is Serena." She pointed to each person that was introduced.

"I appreciate your help very much Mr. Kou, Officer Kou," Darien said with a bow of his head.

"I joined the force to help those in need, young man. Just because I am retired does not mean my ideals have as well. Although, I must admit, that I'm not entirely pleased that you dragged our little Mora into the equation," Shuichiro said.

"Actually, all he did was ask for some advice. I kind of just showed up on his door step and jumped into the fray. No questions asked," Amora said nonchalantly.

"Just like Hiroki, you are. Jump first and then ask questions later," he replied shaking his head.

"Hiroki?" Sammy asked as they walked out of the elevator and turned to the penthouse on the left of the building.

"My uncle," was all Amora said.

"Hiroki Suzuki was a-"

"Say one more word, Seiya, and I'll forget your father is standing in front of me," Amora growled as she turned around abruptly and came within inches of Seiya.

Seiya held his hands up in surrender, his eyes widening just a fraction. Sammy looked back and forth between the two of them in puzzlement. He looked to Darien, but he seemed equally puzzled and a little bit worried. It was Seiya's father who interfered by yanking on a tip of Amora's hair and Seiya's ponytail.

"Enough, you two. Seiya, you know better than to bring that topic up. Amora, you need to move on. Now, this conversation never happened, so forget it," he said. Even though he seemed harmless, his voice was hard and brooked no arguments.

It was only a second of hesitation before Amora turned on her heel and continued walking towards the door as if they hadn't even stopped. Everyone followed, although Shuichiro gave one last hard look at his son.

Michelle opened the door before they got to it, and ushered everyone inside. Dr. Mizuno was by Darien's side immediately. Michelle led them to an extra room so that they could lay Serena down and examine her more thoroughly. Amora led everyone else into the living room where a woman and a child sat on the couch watching TV.

They would wait for Serena's condition and for Amora's uncle to get there before anything was explained. It wasn't long before her uncle arrived, but he refused to listen to anything until everyone who had a part to play was there, and he too wanted to wait on the condition of Serena. They had a while to wait for everyone to show up and for Serena's diagnosis.

* * *

"Damn it! How the hell did you lose them? How hard could it be to follow one damn car?" Thomas yelled into the phone. He was pacing the living room with barely contained frustration and rage. He ignored the broken glass that was slowly becoming powder under his feet. The whole apartment was trashed from when he had lost his temper earlier.

He had forgotten his briefcase when he had left, and he didn't need Serena getting curious about it. But when he had been walking up to the door of the building he had seen the Escalade backing out of the alley. Normally he would just ignore someone coming out of the alley, but the car was brand new and expensive; it didn't belong. The back windows were tinted so dark that he couldn't even make out shapes, but the front windows he could tell that the driver, a young blonde male, was holding someone down in the passenger seat.

He walked nonchalantly into the building just in case the driver _was_ watching him as he drove slowly down the street. Once he was inside the building he raced up to the apartment and went straight to Serena's room, only to find her gone. Always one to be prepared, he dialed a number that connected him with two guys he had hired to always be ready in case something like this happened. They were in their car and driving by the time he had described the vehicle and the direction he had seen it heading.

They called again just a minute later when they spotted it and told him that they were running. He flew into a rage after that; throwing pictures and furniture, punching holes in the sheetrock, and shoving things off of shelves.

Now they were calling to say that they had been detained by the police and the car was long gone. He had been planning to get the police officer fired but when he heard that it was Hiroki Suzuki, he knew better. He wasn't someone you could go after so easily. It was all he could do to keep the chief of police oblivious to everything.

"Listen to me, you idiots, you find that car," he growled. "Find the damn car and find Serena! I want her back, do you hear me? If she's not in front of within the week, you will damn well regret losing that fucking car!" He shut the phone and almost threw it at the wall as well.

Looking at the time on the phone, he realized that his employers were not going to be happy that he was late. He visibly tried to calm himself down before walking out of the apartment with his briefcase. He would finish dealing with the mess when he finished his task.

He was heading to a meeting that, if all went well, would begin paying him with a lot of cold hard cash. He was about to get a promotion. One that would put him in charge of large chunks of land with a large amount of cash in-flow. He was meeting with the leaders, the head honchos, of the Yakuza. He was about to be given a seat, a second-in-command, if you will, to one of those head honchos, along with the money and power that came with it.

Whoever was with Serena would pay. 'They will pay dearly, for their mistake," he thought. 'Serena is _mine_, she is _my property_! And no one takes what is mine. _No one_.'

* * *

Author's Note:

Okay, so it took me longer than I thought it would to get this chapter finished. Hopefully, I will get the next one up much faster. I was also reading through the last chapter and noticed a bunch of typos, so as I reading through it I was correcting them, so Chapter 3 should be fixed. Anyways, as always let me know what you think. Also, if there is anything you want me to elaborate more on, just let me know, and I will. Until next time.


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